High Altitude Cooking in Guanajuato

[laconstance]

If you are a newcomer to Guanajuato and tried to bake your favorite recipes here, you may have been surprised at weird results, especially in baked goods. The difference is that at high altitude (Guanajuato is around 6,800' above sea level) there is less air pressure and fewer molecules in the air. Water boils at a lower temperature. I will leave the explanation to the scientists. What it means for cooks is that much of what you are used to doing at lower altitudes simply doesn't work here.

I've been cooking/baking at high altitudes (5,400' - 11,000') for nearly 50 years, so I offer these tips for cooking/baking in Guanajuato:

Regular cooking: Expect everything you boil/steam to take longer to cook. Rice takes a long time; brown rice takes a very long time!

Many people report difficulty with dried beans. Except for split peas and lentils, dry beans must be soaked overnight before cooking. Wash them, pick out stones and dirt clods, then soak them in enough water to cover the beans by at least 1?. Use the soaking water to cook the next day; you will probably have to add more water. Always cover the pot. DO NOT ADD SALT! DO NOT ADD ANY FLAVORINGS SUCH AS ONION, BACON, CHILE, WHATEVER! You must cook your beans ONLY in water until they are pretty much cooked. Only at that point, should you add any flavorings. Because the beans are not cooked in seasoning for a long time, they often taste better the second day. The Mexican clay ollas are perfect for beans; be sure to cover the top with a flat plate or lid.

Casseroles and stews cooked in the oven often need to be baked at a higher temperature. Baking at 325? simply does not work -- increase it to 350?. Sometimes you will need to increase a 350? recipe to 375?.

Baking: Your cakes rise to lofty heights, then sink in the middle. They overflow their pans, and simply don't behave! Try these adjustments:

Cookies usually don't need adjustment.

Quick breads, biscuits, etc. You should never need more than 1 tsp baking powder or ? tsp baking soda PER CUP of flour that your recipe calls for. Generally, you will use baking powder if your liquid is sweet, such as milk, and soda, if your liquid is acidic such as buttermilk or juice. If your recipe calls for a combination of baking powder or baking soda, maintain the above recommendations. For example, your recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda: reduce the baking powder to 2 tsp (for the first two cups) and reduce the baking soda to ? tsp (for the remaining cup of flower). Since high altitude air does not retain moisture, your flour will be dryer; add a little more liquid to your recipe. You also should increase oven temperature by 25?.

Cakes. The above proportions also apply for baking powder and soda. If you use a cake mix, be aware that they usually contain enough baking powder to levitate a battleship. The manufacturers don't want you to have a failure, though, so follow the high altitude directions for added ingredients and mixing the batter. BUT, always increase baking temperature by 25?, even if the directions don't say so. You'll need three round cake pans, instead of two, so the batter does not overflow.

Yeast Breads. In many ways, these are easier than quick breads and cakes. But, you will need to be more instinctive about the the "feel" of the bread as you are working it. In other words, forget about measuring the flour. Take all the milk or water that the recipe calls for, and heat it, but not so hot that it will kill the yeast. Pour about ? cup of liquid into a cup, add about ? tsp of sugar and the yeast. In general, use only half the yeast that is called for in your recipe. Mix well, and let the yeast begin to "work". Meanwhile, add all the fat, sweetner, and all other ingredients (except flour) to the liquid you are heating, and heat it a little more, stirring everything until it is well mixed. Put a couple of cups of flour into a bowl and add the yeast mixture. Mix with a fork, incorporating bit by bit a little of the flour, until you have a kind of dough (you won't use up all the flour). Then start adding the rest of the liquid, bit by bit, mixing well after each addition. Once all the liquid is in, then starting adding more flour, as much as you need to make a dough. When you can't add any more, turn out and start to knead on a slightly floured surface. Mexican tile counters are perfect for this. Knead for about 10 minutes, but only add as much flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Follow rising and loaf-shaping instructions called for in your recipe, but increase baking temperature by 25?.

Etc. Colorado State University Extension used to have a lot of free high altitude tips and recipes, but I note from their current website that the booklets are fancier and you have to pay for them. City Market, a Colorado supermarket chain, also has a few recipes on its website. Locally published cookbooks from high altitude areas are good resources. Classics are the cookbooks of the Junior League of Denver: Colorado Cache Cookbook, Creme de Colorado Cookbook, Colorado Collage, and others.

Hope this helps those frustrated cooks out there! ?Feliz Navidad!